Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates to a motor driven chair recline mechanism that can be advantageously mounted on sloped floors. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a motor driven recline mechanism for a theater seat.
Background
Theater seats for a movie theater are well known. Typically, the theater seat includes a vertical back member and a seating member operatively connected to the back member, a base frame and a pair of opposed armrests. The back member is fixed relative to the seating member usually by a stanchion secured to the floor of the theater. The seat member and the back member are also connected to the pair of opposed armrests. The seating member, usually pivots relative to the back member, between an upright position when unoccupied and a horizontal position when occupied by a user. Existing recline mechanisms for theater seats are based on designs intended for residential use where space is not an issue. Motorized recline mechanisms are common in residential recliner seats and have only recently become popular as a luxury option in theater venues. Typical residential recliners are not designed to accommodate sloped floors and have essential mechanical components (for example necessary linkage mechanism) that extend down from the seat all the way to floor level and have no capacity for lowering the rear of the recliner as is necessary when mounting on a non-leveled or sloped floor. In addition, utilizing all the space under a seat for essential mechanical components makes cleaning under the recliner a difficult or impossible task. In movie theaters, for example, there is a code requiring a minimum clearance between rows in a theater that must be adhered to. Such a code limits the type of recline-type seats that can be used, the quantitative layout allowed for per seat, and, therefore, the number of seats that can be installed in a given space. There is a need for a seat assembly that provides the comfort of the recline aspect of a VIP chair but at the same time be compact from front to rear, with a small layout when the chair is open that falls generally within its own profile.